Fenna Poelzer is currently the chief estimator for Abalone Construction, working mainly in Alberta’s oil sands and related development. Her role includes detailed analytics of equipment productions, front end job planning, labour relations acumen and marketing. She has advanced her career through seizing opportunities to try new roles and lead projects that stretched and expanded her skillset.

Poelzer has been a member of CIM since her student days, which led to her taking on the role of volunteer coordinator for the 1996 AGM. This was one of many volunteer positions she held at the time, and she was recognized for her contributions to university life with the Peter Lougheed Scholarship in her graduating year. Her community service has continued since that time, ranging from coaching hockey, football and softball, to chairing the CIM Coal and Oil Sands Division, to assisting Habitat for Humanity construction, to leading the local Junior Forest Wardens troupe. She played a key role in the expansion of the M4S event at the 2012 CIM AGM and is currently on the Edmonton Branch executive continuing her service to CIM. She encourages young engineers to actively participate in technical societies and mentors junior personnel on a regular basis.